As if I don’t have enough cards in my wallet, the vendor for my employer’s health care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) sent me a MasterCard debit card. I’m supposed to use it for items eligible for reimbursement from the FSA. The pitch from the FSA vendor is that I won’t have to file reimbursement claims […]
Better Gift Cards
It’s holiday time. Many stores are pushing gift cards and gift certificates. I heard a radio ad for a lottery gift card! You give someone a gift card so they can buy lottery tickets. Isn’t that insane? The lottery has long been said as a tax on the poor. You give someone a gift so […]
A Different World
I’m traveling on business again. I read this interesting letter from a reader in the US Airways Magazine. I added the link so you will see what he’s talking about. “On my US Airways flight, I would typically call my situation “unfortunate” -sitting on the runway for over an hour waiting for take-off. However, I […]
Salute to the American Consumers
If you read financial stories in the media you must have come across the talk of a forthcoming recession, like this article on Bloomberg, Recession Hits U.S. Profits; Economy Might Be Next. The lead paragraph reads “U.S. corporate profits are in a recession, and the entire economy may not be far behind.” I went shopping […]
What To Do If Your Health Insurance Says Your Treatment Is Not Covered
Last Friday, I happened to pick up a copy of the Wall Street Journal somebody left on the train. There was an intriguing article on the front page — How U.S. Health System Can Fail Even the Insured. It’s a long story but the story line is familiar. A Mrs. Barbara Calder has a rare genetic illness but […]
Cost of Driving One Mile
Today is Veteran’s Day. I’m able to take the commuter train today because many people are off today. I’d like to take the train more often but there is very limited parking at the train station. I sometimes drove to the train station and had to drive away because there was no parking. Taking the train is not […]
Up-selling At The Doctor’s Office
If you went out to buy something and came home with something more expensive than what you originally planned, you’ve been up-sold. According to Wikepedia (link), “Up-selling is a sales technique whereby a salesman attempts to have the consumer purchase more expensive items, upgrades, or other add-ons in an attempt to make a more profitable […]
Credit Card Dispute Against Priceline
This is an update to my credit card dispute against Priceline. When I went on vacation a few months ago, Priceline gave me a bad hotel. I’m usually not very picky. But this time it was bad enough for me to file a dispute with my credit card company against Priceline. It was the only […]
Disputed Credit Card Charge Against Priceline
When I go on vacation, I usually use Priceline’s Name Your Price™ service for a hotel room. You specify an area in the city, a quality level (3-star, 4-star, etc.), the dates, and the price you want to pay. Priceline tries to find a hotel for you at that price. If it accepts your bid, […]
Maxed Out: Documentary About Debt in America
I watched a documentary Maxed Out on DVD over the weekend. It’s about debt in America, especially credit card debt. It featured people who are in debt, people who lost their loved ones to debt, a Harvard Law School professor, Dave Ramsey, debt collectors, a pawn shop owner, and many other people involved in debt […]
Looking for a Photo Sharing Site
I’m looking for a photo sharing site now that Yahoo! announced that they will terminate Yahoo! Photos. I think my requirements are simple and reasonable, yet I’m drawing a blank after looking at many photo sharing sites. Here are my requirements: Free service. I don’t have many photos. When I travel I take some pictures. […]
Successful Business Strategy: Selling Hope
While reading newspapers on a plane, I discovered a winning business strategy: Selling Hope. The products you sell don’t have to work as advertised. They may or may not. That’s not the point. All you have to do is selling the hope that they will work. There are plenty of examples for this strategy. Airborne […]